This invention relates to vehicle seats and more particularly to passenger seats which are convertible from a regular seat configuration to a load-carrying configuration.
The desirability of a convertible rear seat in passenger vehicles has been long recognized and vehicles wherein the seat back unit of the rear seat may be folded forward to a floor-forming position to create an enlarged cargo carrying space of the vehicle are well known. However, such arrangements generally have several disadvantages.
Vehicles with such arrangements may present a safety hazard. Any loose items in such cargo carrying space may impact the occupants of the front seats in the event of sudden deceleration, such as caused by an accident or hard breaking of the vehicle, since there usually is insufficient protective separation between the cargo carrying space and the occupants of the front seats.
Another disadvantage is that in vehicles of the described type the items carried in the cargo carrying space are exposed during unattended parking, unless the items are specifically covered. This may preclude leaving any items of value in the exposed cargo carrying space.
Another disadvantage is that items left in the described cargo carrying space may be exposed to intense heating by the sun through the vehicle's windows, particularly, during unattended parking of the vehicle.